Welcome to the party Mr Ricketts

[SKIPPER 11]

2 losses for the Bullpen in 4 games. When you have 4 guys out there with very limited experience- less than 100 innings combined at the MLB level, I really dont know what gave me any inclination that we actually have a chance.

[ryno4ever]

This one stung. Once again, the starting pitching was absolutely stellar...and the bullpen loses it, but also, there was also at 13 men left on base????? Did I miss an offseason, because this seems to be the same team as last year! They didn't address any of the issues but the damned bathroom troughs!

[SKIPPER 11]

4 games in and I already have a sick feeling. The Cubs totally dominated that game tonight. Tons of baserunners, great pitching for 7 innings

[SkullKey]

Silva was superb.

Berg did his job this time and the Cubs were ahead 4 - 1 going into the 8th. Good teams win these games

Caridad took the mound for the 8th inning. According to MLB Gameday Caridad then walked the next 2 batters and gave up a bunt single to Dickerson. At one point he threw 8 of 9 pitches out of the strike zone. He then threw another pitch off the plate and then an 89 m.p.h. fastball Drew Stubbs hit for a Grand Slam. Nobody out. Damned bad start for a guy trying to establish himself in the major Leagues!

Caridad then settled down and got the next 3 guys out. "Settled down" is generous. The Reds were chomping at the bit. Caridad got only a small % of his remaining pitches over the plate but Cincinnati bit at them. The Reds got 5 hits and 2 walks (you know how Crusty hates to clog the bases) all night but won this game on a half inning of incompetence.

All in all very Cubbish.

Bummer.

[ryno4ever]

The kid couldn't throw a strike...until after he loaded the bases AND ONLY THEN throws the PERFECT strike, that ended up in the seats!

I am so tired of Lou in his press conferences (going back to last year as well), sounded like he has just taken the beating of his life and when asked by reporters how he plans on fixing it, Lou coming back "What do you want me to do?"!!!! HE IS THE MANAGER. HE MAKES A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY THAN I WILL EVER SEE IN MY LIFETIME...AND HE IS GETTING PAID TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO!!!! What do I want him to do? I want him to quit hiding behind his dumbfoundedness and tell me he is going to figure out HOW to fix it. I want to know that I am not going to waste my entire summer again listening and watching every game...investing hundreds of hours of my time.... because he is going to FIGURE IT OUT!

[Bockstock]

I honestly didn't think Lou was this stupid. any room on the Lee Elias train??

[LeeEila's/rant]

I honestly didn't think Lou was this stupid. any room on the Lee Elias train??

I am sure you all have heard of The Tea Party thing going around maybe we can start the Beer Party and all work to oust Sleepy Lou.

[Banks]

As big of a dummy Lou is, Jim Hendry didn't help him out by failing to get some bullpen help....

[LeeEila's/rant]

As big of a dummy Lou is, Jim Hendry didn't help him out by failing to get some bullpen help....

I never really slight a bullpen until midseason. I can not remember when we had the same guys in the pen in Aug. that we had in April. Relief pitchers are all so spotty it takes some time to work it out. If you are in mid June and it is not shaking out , then is time to sweat.

[SkullKey]

The Official Story via The Muskrat Report" ( http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100409&content_id=9174752&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc ) [With Catbird Commentary by SK.]:


Caridad can't preserve win for Silva, Cubs

Reliever allows go-ahead grand slam to Stubbs in eighth

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- It's taking a little longer to sort out the Cubs' bullpen than Lou Piniella would like. [No kidding!]
For the second time in three games, the bullpen blew a lead, as Drew Stubbs smacked his first career grand slam in the eighth inning off rookie Esmailin Caridad to power the Reds to a 5-4 victory on Friday night over the Cubs.

"Remember what I said in Spring Training? Everything was fine when we were in afternoon single-deck stadiums," Piniella said.[What does Lou mean by this? "All of a sudden, it gets a little different and we had to see. Well, we haven't seen what we'd like to see, let's put it that way."

On Tuesday, John Grabow served up a game-winning homer to Atlanta's Chipper Jones in the eighth to waste a solid outing by Ryan Dempster. On Friday, Carlos Silva deserved better.

Silva was in line for his first win in a year after holding the Reds to three hits over six innings. Acquired in December from Seattle for Milton Bradley and cash, he looked more like an 18-5 pitcher this spring than someone who had gone 5-18 in two seasons.

But Silva was lifted after 71 pitches and some soreness in his right shoulder, which he downplayed after the game.

"You ask all the questions because we lost the game," Silva said. "If we win, nothing."

Chicago had a 3-1 lead when Caridad took over in the eighth. One of three rookies in the Cubs' bullpen,[That just sounds a bit risky to me] [I]he walked the first two batters he faced, and pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson was safe after a bunt to load the bases. Stubbs then launched a 1-0 pitch into the Reds' bullpen for his first homer.

"It was a fastball out over the plate," Stubbs said. "With his struggles earlier in the inning to get ahead of batters, I knew he was probably going to come right at me. Sure enough, he did, and left a fastball out over the plate and I was able to put a good swing on it."

[Caridad couldn't get the ball over the plate so he starts aiming fastballs down the middle for strikes. If he had regained his control more normally he might have walked in two or even three runs - but that's a lot better than grooving one and giving up four with one swing. Pathetic, but better. Caridad blames the umps:]

Caridad didn't agree with some of home-plate umpire Doug Eddings' calls in the eighth.

"I threw a strike and the umpire didn't call a strike -- I don't know why," Caridad said. ['Cause it probably wasn't over the plate kid.]

"You can't walk people in the eighth inning," Piniella said. "He gets two strikes on the first hitter, then walks two hitters, then the bunt and the home run."

The Cubs did have chances, stranding 13 in the game, and had a rally going in the ninth. With one out, Derrek Lee hit his first homer, and one out later, the Cubs loaded the bases on two singles and an error. But Francisco Cordero got pinch-hitter Chad Tracy to ground out to end the game.

"We had that game in hand," Piniella said. "I bring in a reliever in the eighth inning to pitch to the bottom part of the lineup and we walk the guys. If they hit the ball, it's fine. They get paid to hit. To walk two people, you're looking for trouble with the lead."

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first. Rookie Tyler Colvin, who didn't draw a walk all spring while hitting .468 and leading the Majors in at-bats, walked with one out, reached third on Lee's single and scored on Aramis Ramirez's sacrifice fly.

The Reds tied the game in their half when Stubbs tripled and scored on Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly. Xavier Nady hit an RBI single with one out in the third to go ahead, 2-1, and Lee added an RBI single with two outs in the fourth, driving in Ryan Theriot.

Silva was the star, or should have been.[We should be talking about Silva's delightfully surprising superb performance - not this krap from some fool kid.]

"The only thing I was doing today as the same thing I did in Spring Training was try to use all my pitches and try to command my pitches," Silva said. "Before I came to the field I was a little nervous. The only thing I tried to put in my mind was the catcher's glove and you. You and the catcher's glove, and forget about everything else."

The Cubs will be able to tweak the pitching staff once Ted Lilly returns. The left-hander was scheduled to make his next-to-last Minor League start on Sunday for Triple-A Iowa. Silva's role is not in jeopardy.

"He did his job," Piniella said of the right-hander. "He pitched very well. We've had three really nice starts in a row and we've won one ballgame. That's not good."

The players know it.

"It's hard -- we should be 3-1 right now," Silva said. "I think we're playing good enough. This is hard, because later on, you're going to need these wins, especially in this division."

"I hope the games we lost now we don't need in September," Alfonso Soriano said. [Nothing gets by Alfie.]

Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Carlos Silva turned in an exceptional performance. Six full innings of 3 hit - ZERO walk pitching. A mere 1 run scored. E.R.A.: 1.50. You've got to win those opportunities 80 - 90 % of the time. Why not win them all? I was dreading Silva going to the mound he was great - and I noticed he has been talking to Greg Maddux a lot.

[SkullKey]

And today we find out this from the Cubs: ( http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100410&content_id=9197800&notebook_id=9198014&vkey=notebook_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc ):


Silva's shoulder may stall next start
In opener vs. Reds, righty departs with soreness

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

04/10/10 12:55 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Carlos Silva has some soreness in his right shoulder, and the Cubs have yet to announce when the right-hander will make his next start.
Silva came out of Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds after throwing 71 pitches over six innings. He said after the game that his shoulder was fine, but he did tell pitching coach Larry Rothschild and manager Lou Piniella after the sixth that he was feeling some discomfort.

Silva wasn't sure when the problem began, but it may have been in the fourth when he tried to make a play on a ball that skipped past him.

Silva, acquired in December from Seattle for Milton Bradley, was limited to eight games last season because of problems with his right shoulder.

Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny will make his first start on Sunday in the Cubs' series finale against the Reds, and Ryan Dempster will start the home opener Monday against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. Dempster will be followed by Randy Wells on Wednesday and Carlos Zambrano on Thursday.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


Hey - baby this guy. Whatever it takes to keep him healthy. I for one expected next to nothing from him and if the Cubs only get, say, 20 starts from this guy fine. Give me 12 - 15 starts like yesterday and 5 - 10 decent starts ... - the guy's gold to me. Just keep him healthy.

[HEYHEY]

He's done. NEXT

[Bockstock]

Hopefully he can channel some Jason Marquis. Definitely need Fontenot in there when Silva pitches, though. Fantastic defense from him the last two games.

[LeeEila's/rant]

Hey - baby this guy. Whatever it takes to keep him healthy. I for one expected next to nothing from him and if the Cubs only get, say, 20 starts from this guy fine. Give me 12 - 15 starts like yesterday and 5 - 10 decent starts ... - the guy's gold to me. Just keep him healthy.

Ditto , that would wipe clean the whole Bradley farce.

[HEYHEY]

They already got more than anyone expected. he should be limited to spot duty out of the pen. maybe to late

[Bockstock]

They already got more than anyone expected. he should be limited to spot duty out of the pen. maybe to late

Gorzo is definitely proving he belongs in the rotation.

[Banks]

I never really slight a bullpen until midseason. I can not remember when we had the same guys in the pen in Aug. that we had in April. Relief pitchers are all so spotty it takes some time to work it out. If you are in mid June and it is not shaking out , then is time to sweat.
I'm not slighting the terrible results, so far this season. I'm slighting the terrible bullpen that was assembled. Who actually believed this was going to be a productive bullpen prior to this season? A move needed to be made, even before Angel Guzman went down.

There's nothing worse than a team overvaluing the results of young players down the stretch of a bad, nothing to play for, season. That's what we have in Berg, Caridad.